1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of treating an oxidized layer of metal nitride.
2. Description of Related Art
It is typically but not exclusively applicable to the fabrication of metal electrodes used in particular in the fabrication of light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
The document. U.S. Pat. No. 6,169,027 discloses a treatment method consisting in eliminating the presence of a layer of titanium oxide formed at the surface of a layer of titanium nitride, by applying a high temperature plasma of hydrogen and nitrogen. Hence, the titanium oxide is reduced by the hydrogen to form titanium nitride.
However, the disadvantage with that type of method is that is has to be carried out at high temperatures, i.e. at a temperature in the range 400° C. to 550° C.
A temperature that high, as required for direct reduction of the titanium nitride, means that the prior art method cannot be carried out on an assembly of elements comprising both the layer of titanium nitride and also other layers and/or components (e.g. transistors, resistors, etc.) having physico-chemical properties that are degraded at high temperatures, in particular at temperatures above 400° C.